103778 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 244 / Thursday, December 19, 2024 / Notices 

1See Thermoformed Molded Fiber Products from 

the People’s Republic of China and the Socialist 

Republic of Vietnam: Initiation of Countervailing 

Duty Investigations, 89 FR 87556 (November 4, 

2024) (Initiation Notice). 

2The petitioners are Genera, Tellus Products, 

LLC, and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, 

Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial 

and Service Workers International Union, AFL– 

CIO. 

3See Petitioners’ Letters, ‘‘Request to Extend the 

Deadline for the Preliminary Determination,’’ dated 

December 6, 2024. 

4 Id. 

imports eligible for preferential 

treatment under the value-added 

provision is 322,927,229 square meters 

equivalent. 

DATES: The new limitations become 

applicable December 20, 2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kayla Johnson, International Trade 

Specialist, Office of Textiles and 

Apparel, U.S. Department of Commerce, 

(202) 482–2532. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: Section 213A of the 

Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act 

(19 U.S.C. 2703a) (‘‘CBERA’’), as 

amended; and as implemented by 

Presidential Proc. No. 8114, 72 FR 

13655 (March 22, 2007), and No. 8596, 

75 FR 68153 (November 4, 2010). 

Background: Section 213A(b)(1)(B) of 

CBERA, as amended (19 U.S.C. 

2703a(b)(1)(B)), outlines the 

requirements for certain apparel articles 

imported directly from Haiti to qualify 

for duty-free treatment under a ‘‘valueadded’’ provision. In order to qualify for 

duty-free treatment, apparel articles 

must be wholly assembled, or knit-toshape, in Haiti from any combination of 

fabrics, fabric components, components 

knit-to-shape, and yarns, as long as the 

sum of the cost or value of materials 

produced in Haiti or one or more 

beneficiary countries, as described in 

CBERA, as amended, or any 

combination thereof, plus the direct 

costs of processing operations 

performed in Haiti or one or more 

beneficiary countries, as described in 

CBERA, as amended, or any 

combination thereof, is not less than an 

applicable percentage of the declared 

customs value of such apparel articles. 

Pursuant to CBERA, as amended, the 

applicable percentage for the period 

December 20, 2024 through December 

19, 2025, is 60 percent. 

For every twelve-month period 

following the effective date of CBERA, 

as amended, duty-free treatment under 

the value-added provision is subject to 

a quantitative limitation. CBERA, as 

amended, provides that the quantitative 

limitation will be recalculated for each 

subsequent 12-month period. Section 

213A(b)(1)(C) of CBERA, as amended 

(19 U.S.C. 2703a(b)(1)(C)), requires that, 

for the twelve-month period beginning 

on December 20, 2024, the quantitative 

limitation for qualifying apparel 

imported from Haiti under the valueadded provision will be an amount 

equivalent to 1.25 percent of the 

aggregate square meter equivalent of all 

apparel articles imported into the 

United States in the most recent 12- 

month period for which data are 

available. The aggregate square meters 

equivalent of all apparel articles 

imported into the United States is 

derived from the set of Harmonized 

System lines listed in the Annex to the 

World Trade Organization Agreement 

on Textiles and Clothing (‘‘ATC’’), and 

the conversion factors for units of 

measure into square meter equivalents 

used by the United States in 

implementing the ATC. For purposes of 

this notice, the most recent 12-month 

period for which data are available as of 

December 20, 2024 is the 12-month 

period ending on October 31, 2024. 

Therefore, for the one-year period 

beginning on December 20, 2024 and 

extending through December 19, 2025, 

the quantity of imports eligible for 

preferential treatment under the valueadded provision is 322,927,229 square 

meters equivalent. Apparel articles 

entered in excess of these quantities will 

be subject to otherwise applicable 

tariffs. 

Tyler Beckelman, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles, 

Consumer Goods, Materials Industries, 

Critical Minerals and Metals. 

[FR Doc. 2024–30072 Filed 12–18–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

International Trade Administration 

[C–570–183, C–552–846] 

Thermoformed Molded Fiber Products 

From the People’s Republic of China 

and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: 

Postponement of Preliminary 

Determination in the Countervailing 

Duty Investigations 

AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, 

International Trade Administration, 

Department of Commerce. 

DATES: Applicable December 19, 2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Ashley Cossaart (the People’s Republic 

of China) and Thomas Martin (Socialist 

Republic of Vietnam), AD/CVD 

Operations, OIV, Enforcement and 

Compliance, International Trade 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 

NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone 

(202) 482–0462 and at (202) 482–3936, 

respectively. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On October 28, 2024, the U.S. 

Department of Commerce (Commerce) 

initiated a countervailing duty (CVD) 

investigation of imports of 

thermoformed molded fiber products 

(molded fiber products) from the 

People’s Republic of China (China) and 

the Socialist Republic of Vietnam 

(Vietnam).1 Currently, the preliminary 

determinations are due no later than 

January 2, 2025. 

Postponement of Preliminary 

Determination 

Section 703(b)(1) of the Tariff Act of 

1930, as amended (the Act), requires 

Commerce to issue the preliminary 

determination in a CVD investigation 

within 65 days after the date on which 

Commerce initiated the investigation. 

However, section 703(c)(1) of the Act 

permits Commerce to postpone the 

preliminary determination until no later 

than 130 days after the date on which 

Commerce initiated the investigation if: 

(A) the petitioners 2 makes a timely 

request for a postponement; or (B) 

Commerce concludes that the parties 

concerned are cooperating, that the 

investigation is extraordinarily 

complicated, and that additional time is 

necessary to make a preliminary 

determination. Under 19 CFR 

351.205(e), the petitioner must submit a 

request for postponement 25 days or 

more before the scheduled date of the 

preliminary determination and must 

state the reasons for the request. 

Commerce will grant the request unless 

it finds compelling reasons to deny the 

request. 

On December 6, 2024, the petitioners 

submitted a timely request that 

Commerce postpone the preliminary 

determination in these investigations.3

The petitioners stated that they request 

postponement to extend the deadline for 

the preliminary determinations in order 

to have an adequate opportunity to 

review the questionnaire responses of 

respondents and submit rebuttal factual 

information, and give Commerce 

adequate time to review the data 

provided in the questionnaire responses 

and issue supplemental questionnaires 

prior to its issuance of the preliminary 

determinations.4

In accordance with 19 CFR 

351.205(e), the petitioners submitted 

their request for postponement of the 

preliminary determinations in these 

investigations 25 days or more before 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 244 / Thursday, December 19, 2024 / Notices 103779 

1See 1-Hydroxyethylidene-1, 1-Diphosphonic 

Acid From the People’s Republic of China: 

Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less 

Than Fair Value, and Antidumping Duty Order, 82 

FR 22807 (May 18, 2017); see also 1- 

Hydroxyethylidene-1, 1-Diphosphonic Acid from 

the People’s Republic of China: Countervailing Duty 

Order, 82 FR 22809 (May 18, 2017) (collectively, 

Orders). 

2See Compass’s Letter, ‘‘Request for an 

Anticircumvention Inquiry Pursuant to Section 

781(c) of the Act,’’ dated October 4, 2024. 

3See Commerce’s Letter, ‘‘Supplemental 

Questionnaire,’’ dated October 30, 2024. 

4 Id. 

5See Compass’s Letter, ‘‘Request for an 

Anticircumvention Inquiry Pursuant to Section 

781(c) of the Act; Response to Supplemental 

Questionnaire,’’ dated November 13, 2024. 

the scheduled date of the preliminary 

determinations and stated the reasons 

for their request. For the reasons stated 

above, and because there are no 

compelling reasons to deny the request, 

in accordance with section 703(c)(1)(A) 

of the Act, Commerce is postponing the 

deadline for these preliminary 

determinations to no later than 130 days 

after the date on which these 

investigations were initiated, i.e., March 

7, 2025. Pursuant to section 705(a)(1) of 

the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(1), the 

deadline for the final determinations of 

these investigations will continue to be 

75 days after the date of these 

preliminary determinations. 

This notice is issued and published 

pursuant to section 703(c)(2) of the Act 

and 19 CFR 351.205(f)(1). 

Dated: December 12, 2024. 

Abdelali Elouaradia, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement 

and Compliance. 

[FR Doc. 2024–30306 Filed 12–18–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

International Trade Administration 

[A–570–045, C–570–046] 

1-Hydroxyethylidene-1, 1- 

Diphosphonic Acid From the People’s 

Republic of China: Initiation of 

Circumvention Inquiry of the 

Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 

Orders 

AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, 

International Trade Administration, 

Department of Commerce. 

SUMMARY: In response to a request from 

Compass Chemical International LLC 

(Compass, a domestic interested party), 

the U.S. Department of Commerce 

(Commerce) is initiating a country-wide 

circumvention inquiry to determine 

whether imports of 1- 

Hydroxyethylidene-1, 1-Diphosphonic 

Acid (HEDP) from the People’s Republic 

of China (China), which has been 

altered in form or appearance in minor 

respects, are circumventing the 

antidumping duty (AD) and 

countervailing duty (CVD) orders. 

DATES: Applicable December 19, 2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Charles Vannatta or Tyler O’Daniel; 

Office of Policy, Enforcement and 

Compliance, International Trade 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 

NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: 

(202) 482–4036 or (202)–482–6030, 

respectively. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On October 4, 2024, pursuant to 

section 781(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, 

as amended (the Act), and 19 CFR 

351.226(j), Compass filed a 

circumvention inquiry request alleging 

that solid or powdered acidic HEDP 

produced in China and exported to the 

United States constitutes merchandise 

altered in form or appearance in minor 

respects that is circumventing the 

Orders,1 and, accordingly, should be 

included within the scope of the 

Orders.2 On October 30, 2024, we issued 

a request for additional information to 

Compass,3 because we had found that 

Compass’ request to conduct a 

circumvention inquiry was insufficient 

for purposes of initiation, in accordance 

with 19 CFR 351.226(d)(1). 

Additionally, we stated that 30-day 

period for Commerce to consider 

whether to initiate on Compass’ 

circumvention inquiry request would 

begin with Compass’ response to the 

request for information.4 Subsequently, 

on November 13, 2024, Compass filed 

its response to our request for 

information.5 Thus, we consider the 

circumvention inquiry request to have 

been filed on November 13, 2024. 

Scope of the Orders 

The merchandise covered by the 

Orders includes all grades of aqueous 

acidic (non-neutralized) concentrations 

of 1-hydroxyethylidene-1, 1- 

disphosphonic acid (HEDP), also 

referred to as 

hydroxyethylidenendiphosphonic acid, 

hydroxyethanediphosphonic acid, 

acetodiphosphonic acid, and etidronic 

acid. The Chemical Abstract Service 

(CAS) registry number for HEDP is 

2809–21–4. 

The merchandise subject to the 

Orders is currently classified in the 

Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 

United States (HTSUS) at subheading 

2931.90.9043. It may also enter under 

HTSUS subheadings 2811.19.6090, 

2931.90.9041, 2931.90.9051, 

2811.19.6190, 2931.39.0018 and 

2931.49.0050. While HTSUS 

subheadings and the CAS registry 

number are provided for convenience 

and customs purposes only, the written 

description of the scope of the Orders is 

dispositive. 

Merchandise Subject to the 

Circumvention Inquiry 

The merchandise covered by this 

circumvention inquiry includes all 

grades of acidic (non-neutralized) 

concentrations of 1-hydroxyethylidene1, 1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), also 

referred to as 

hydroxyethylidenendiphosphonic acid, 

hydroxyethanediphosphonic acid, 

acetodiphosphonic acid, and etidronic 

acid, in solid or powder form, produced 

in China and exported to the United 

States. The CAS registry number for 

solid acidic HEDP is 2809–21–4. The 

solid or powder form of acidic HEDP 

subject to this request is typically 

entered into the United States under 

HTSUS subheadings 2931.49.0080, 

2931.90.9052 and 2811.19.6190. 

Statutory and Regulatory Framework 

for Initiation of Circumvention Inquiry 

Section 351.226(d)(1)(ii) of 

Commerce’s regulations states that if 

Commerce determines that a request for 

a circumvention inquiry satisfies the 

requirements of 19 CFR 351.226(c), then 

Commerce ‘‘will accept the request and 

initiate a circumvention inquiry.’’ 

Section 351.226(c)(1) of Commerce’s 

regulations, in turn, requires that each 

request for a circumvention inquiry 

allege ‘‘that the elements necessary for 

a circumvention determination under 

section 781 of the Act exist’’ and be 

‘‘accompanied by information 

reasonably available to the interested 

party supporting these allegations.’’ 

Compass alleges circumvention 

pursuant to section 781(c) of the Act 

(i.e., merchandise altered in form or 

appearance in minor respects). 

Section 781(c)(1) of the Act provides 

that the class or kind of merchandise 

subject to an AD or CVD order shall 

include articles that have been ‘‘altered 

in form or appearance in minor respects 

. . . whether or not included in the 

same tariff classification.’’ Section 

781(c)(2) of the Act provides an 

exception that section 781(c)(1) of the 

Act ‘‘shall not apply with respect to 

altered merchandise if the administering 

authority determines that it would be 

unnecessary to consider the altered 

merchandise within the scope of the 

{order}.’’ Concerning the allegation of 

minor alterations under section 781(c) 

of the Act and 19 CFR 351.226(j), 

Commerce may consider criteria 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1